EU-FarmBook

Biogas done right: 10 "FARMING FOR FUTURE” actions for the agroecological transition. In particular, the aim is a greater stock efficency of C and N into the soils and a lower GHG and N emissions in the atmosphere linked to the digestate use in agriculture. Ecological practices (minimum soil tillage, innovative low-emission systems for the distribution of digestate) to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and increase the supply of organic matter in the soils. The "FARMING FOR FUTURE" actions for the agroecological transition are the follow: - Renewable energy in agriculture, replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources to reduce pollution and emissions; - Agriculture 4.0, adopt advanced agricultural techniques and farming to optimize the use of nutrients; - Livestock manure management,use livestock manure and agricultural by-product to reduce emissions and produce renewable bioenergy - Organic fertilization, using digestate to guarantee the return of nutrients into the soil and reduce the chemical input; - Innovative agricultural processes, adopt agronomic techniques (e.g., minimum tillage, no-tillage, organic fertilization) to reduce emissions into the atmosphere; - Quality and animal welfare, implement agricultural and farm techniques to improve quality and animal welfare. - Increase in soil fertility, adopt double crops to increase carbon sequestration and soil fertility; - Agroforestry, integrate woody crops to increase photosynthesis and organic matter into the soil; - Production and utilisation of biomaterials, using biological, natural and renewable materials - Biogas and other renewable gas, produce methane and hydrogen from agricultural biogas.

• Sustainable agrotechnics
• Renewable fertilizers
• Fertigation
• Digestate microfiltration
• Subsurface drip fertigation

Intensive irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization are often linked to low N-fertilizer efficiency, and to high emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Efficient irrigation systems (e.g. subsurface drip irrigation [SDI]) combined with N-fertigation in a no-till agroecosystem can promote N-use efficiency, thereby curbing N2O emissions without depressing crop yield. Yet, crop type and SDI plant settings (and management) such as dripline spacing may determine the agronomic and environmental performance of SDI. In this two-year field study on maize (Zea mays L.) - soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) rotation with conservation agriculture management (notill and cover crops), we investigated the effects of three different irrigation/fertilization systems (SDI with a narrow dripline spacing (70 cm) + fertigation with ammonium sulphate, SDI with a large dripline spacing (140 cm) + fertigation with ammonium sulphate, and sprinkler irrigation [SPR] + granular urea application) on yield, N-fertilizer efficiency, and N2O emissions in a fine-textured soil. We hypothesized that SDI systems (especially with narrow dripline distance) would increase yield and mitigate N2O compared with SPR, and particularly for maize due to its higher water and nutrient demand. We found that SDI increased maize yield (+31%) and Nfertilizer efficiency (+43–71%). These positive results were only observed during the drier year in which irrigation supplied ca. 80% of maize water requirements. The narrower dripline spacing mitigated N2O emissions compared with sprinkler irrigation (by 44%) and with the wider spacing (by 36%), due to a more homogeneous distribution of N in soil, and to a lower soil moisture content. Soybean yield and N-use efficiency were not affected by the irrigation systems. We also found that SPR enhanced cover crop residue decomposition, thus promoting the release of C and N into the soil and increasing N2O emissions. Overall, our study provides important insights on key management decisions that define the sustainability of novel irrigation systems; in particular SDI with a 70 cm dripline distance should be promoted for maize to increase productivity and decrease N2O emissions in fine-textured soils.

• Sustainable agrotechnics
• Renewable fertilizers
• Fertigation
• Digestate microfiltration
• Subsurface drip fertigation

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) can be pointed out as one of the most straightforward approaches for connecting consumers and producers in agri-food supply chains. They are identified as a more sustainable way of producing, processing, and/or selling food, which demonstrates a “turn to quality” in both agriculture and consumption. Traditionally, SFSCs allowed producers to have a strong position in the food chain, but their role decreased with Europe’s industrialisation and long-distance transportation, urbanisation, and technical advances. Nowadays, renewed consumer interest in direct purchasing, created by an interest in safe produce has boosted the resurgence of SFSCs. European legislation lays the foundations for their promotion through legal and policy incentives implemented in the framework of national Rural Development Programmes (RDP). The agroBRIDGES project aims at empowering farmers with practical knowledge, tools and support to rebalance their market position by setting up new business and marketing models based on Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs), with a focus on building bridges between producers and consumers. Along these lines, the project followed an integrated methodology by establishing regional multi-actor structures for demand-driven innovation, and delivering a combination of communication materials, training programmes, events, decision support and other digital tools packed in the agroBRIDGES Toolbox (www.agrobridges-toolbox.eu). More than 2,500 producers, consumers and other agri-food stakeholders have been involved in testing, validating and ultimately benefitting from the roll out of the agroBRIDGES Τoolbox and its practical support.

• Short Food Supply Chains
• communication materials
• decision support tool
• unique selling point
• food public procurement
• local events
• networking
• resource sharing
• innovation